José Mari Bakero

José María Bakero Escudero (born 11 February 1963) is a Spanish former professional footballer, and a manager. Having played mainly for Real Sociedad and Barcelona,[2] he began his career as a forward (not being a prolific goalscorer) but was converted into an attacking midfielder, who possessed passing and scoring ability (with both his right foot and his head, the second despite his short stature) and great leadership skills.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Bakero and the second or maternal family name is Escudero.

José Mari Bakero
Bakero in 2010
Personal information
Full name José María Bakero Escudero[1]
Date of birth (1963-02-11) 11 February 1963[1]
Place of birth Goizueta, Spain[1]
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
 None
Youth career
Real Sociedad
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1980–1988 Real Sociedad 223 (67)
1988–1996 Barcelona 260 (72)
1997 Veracruz 17 (3)
Total 500 (142)
International career
1980 Spain U16 3 (1)
1980–1981 Spain U18 9 (2)
1982–1986 Spain U21 5 (1)
1986 Spain U23 1 (0)
1987–1994 Spain 30 (7)
Managerial career
1999 Puebla
2005 Málaga B
2006 Real Sociedad
2009–2010 Polonia Warsaw
2010–2012 Lech Poznań
2013 Juan Aurich
2023 Slavia Sofia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

During a 17-year professional career, he amassed La Liga totals of 483 games and 139 goals, winning a total of 17 titles. A Spanish international for seven years, he represented the nation in two World Cups and one European Championship.

Bakero began working as a manager in 1999.

Club career
Bakero training with Spain in 1994

Born in Goizueta, Navarre, Bakero made his senior debut with Real Sociedad on 6 September 1980 when only 17, coming from the bench in a 3–2 away loss against Valencia CF, and finished his debut season with 27 appearances but no goals. Appearing only in two games in 1981–82, he was however part of the Basque sides which won back-to-back La Liga titles, his teammates including Luis Arconada, Jesús María Satrústegui and Jesús María Zamora.

Bakero then signed for FC Barcelona, where he was joined by several other Real and Basque players: Txiki Begiristain, Luis López Rekarte, with Julio Salinas coming from Atlético Madrid but having also played with Athletic Bilbao, as another Real player, Jon Andoni Goikoetxea, joined two years later – they would form the backbone of the legendary Dream Team. Between 1988 and 1997 he (who scored 47 league goals in his first four years) played 329 matches overall for the Catalans, being instrumental in their league conquests from 1990 to 1994 and also appearing in the historic 1992 European Cup Final; in the latter tournament, as his team was trailing 3–0 at 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the second round after a 2–0 home win, his 90th-minute header secured qualification.[3]

Having appeared scarcely during 1996–97, his last game coming on 18 November 1996 in a 6–1 home thrashing of Real Valladolid in which he scored,[4][5] Bakero retired later that campaign after a small abroad stint with Mexico's C.D. Veracruz. He also had unsuccessful trials with Middlesbrough and Norwich City.[6]

International career

Bakero earned 30 caps for Spain, netting on seven occasions. His debut came on 14 October 1987 during an UEFA Euro 1988 qualifier against Austria, replacing future Barcelona teammate Francisco Carrasco in a 2–0 home win.[7]

Bakero would subsequently represent the nation at Euro 1988, as well as in two FIFA World Cup editions, 1990 and 1994.

Coaching career

Bakero moved into coaching after retiring in 1997, first as an assistant under both Lorenzo Serra Ferrer and Louis van Gaal. He also worked as a sports adviser with the Generalitat de Catalunya and, in 2004–05, had his first head coaching experience, joining Málaga CF's B side in January 2005[8] and helping them narrowly escape relegation from the second division.

In August 2005, Bakero was appointed director of football at Real Sociedad, and would be promoted to coach towards the end of 2005–06.[9] Seven games into the following season, he was sacked.[10][11]

In October 2007, Bakero joined Ronald Koeman's (another Barcelona teammate) coaching staff at Valencia, being dismissed in late April 2008.[12] On 10 November 2009, more than a year after his last job, he signed with Polonia Warsaw, again as head coach.[13] While the team was last in the league at that point, not only did he manage to prevent relegation but also led them to a win against city neighbours Legia Warsaw, the first in ten years.[14][15] He was relieved of his duties on 13 September 2010, after suffering the first loss of the campaign.[16]

Bakero signed with another club in the Ekstraklasa on 3 November 2010, now Lech Poznań.[17] In his official debut, he led the side to a 3–1 victory over Manchester City in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League.[18]

On 25 February 2012, following a 3–0 away loss to Ruch Chorzów, Bakero was fired. In 2013, he moved to South America to coach Juan Aurich from Peru, being dismissed in September of that year due to poor results.[19]

In 2015, Venezuelan club Deportivo La Guaira hired Bakero as interim technical director, to help the new coaching staff by running training sessions.[20] He returned to Barcelona on 10 July 2017, as head of the youth academy alongside former teammate Guillermo Amor.[21] In June 2023, Bakero became the manager of Bulgarian club Slavia Sofia. He parted ways with the Bulgarian club in September, after a terrible start of the season, with 1 win and 6 loses.[22]

Personal life

Bakero was the third of 11 children. His brothers Santiago and Jon were also footballers, and both forwards.[23] After he joined Polonia as a coach he was accompanied, at his request, by Jon as an assistant.[24]

Bakero's sister, Ixiar, was also a footballer, who played at international level.[25] His son, Jon, played college soccer in the United States for Wake Forest University, winning the Hermann Trophy in 2017.[26]

Career statistics

Club
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Real Sociedad 1980–81 Primera División 270202910
1981–82 Primera División 200020
1982–83 Primera División 33451384
1983–84 Primera División 3110823110
1984–85 Primera División 30984309
1985–86 Primera División 2916432916
1986–87 Primera División 3911843911
1987–88 Primera División 3217873217
Total 3823––3823
Barcelona 1988–89 Primera División 221000–31426
1989–90 Primera División 301371–31426
1990–91 Primera División 341341–704211
1991–92 Primera División 331110–11[lower-alpha 1]34918
1992–93 Primera División 379311[lower-alpha 2]04[lower-alpha 1]04614
1993–94 Primera División 34510–6[lower-alpha 1]1386
1994–95 Primera División 34400–11[lower-alpha 1]34918
1995–96 Primera División 326411[lower-alpha 2]04[lower-alpha 1]04614
1996–97 Primera División 4100–6[lower-alpha 1]1386
Total 1664019101031521755
Career total 4831396423827221622165
  1. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  2. Appearance in Intercontinental Cup

International
Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bakero goal.[27][7]
List of international goals scored by José Mari Bakero
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
118 November 1987Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain Albania1–05–0Euro 1988 qualifying
22–0
35–0
419 December 1990Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain Albania9–09–0Euro 1992 qualifying
520 February 1991Parc des Princes, Paris, France France1–01–3Euro 1992 qualifying
616 December 1992Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain Latvia1–05–01994 World Cup qualification
724 February 1993Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain Lithuania2–05–01994 World Cup qualification

Managerial statistics
As of 8 September 2013[28]
Team From To Competition Record
G W D L Win % GF GA GD
Puebla July 1999 September 1999 Liga MX 8 1 3 4 012.50 6 11 –5
Total 8 1 3 4 012.50 6 11 –5
Málaga B January 2005 August 2005 Segunda División 22 6 6 10 027.27 13 25 –12
Total 22 6 6 10 027.27 13 25 –12
Real Sociedad 23 March 2006 26 October 2006 La Liga 16 3 5 8 018.75 18 24 –6
Copa del Rey 1 0 0 1 000.00 1 4 –3
Total 17 3 5 9 017.65 19 28 –9
Polonia Warsaw 10 November 2009 13 September 2010 Ekstraklasa 22 9 6 7 040.91 23 20 +3
Total 22 9 6 7 040.91 23 20 +3
Lech Poznań 3 November 2010 25 February 2012 Ekstraklasa 39 18 8 13 046.15 53 27 +26
Polish Cup 7 4 2 1 057.14 13 7 +6
Europe 5 3 1 1 060.00 6 4 +2
Total 51 25 11 15 049.02 72 38 +34
Juan Aurich 5 January 2013 7 September 2013 Peruvian Primera División 31 8 9 14 025.81 38 39 –1
Copa Sudamericana 2 0 0 2 000.00 2 6 –4
Total 33 8 9 16 024.24 40 45 –5
Career totals League 138 45 37 56 032.61 151 146 +5
Cup 8 4 2 2 050.00 14 11 +3
Europe 5 3 1 1 060.00 6 4 +2
South America 2 0 0 2 000.00 2 6 –4
Total 153 52 40 61 033.99 173 167 +6

Honours

Real Sociedad

Barcelona

See also

References
  1. "Bakero: José María Bakero Escudero". BDFutbol. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  2. "José Mari Bakero" (in Spanish). FC Barcelona. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  3. Murray, Andrew (22 October 2015). "How Johan Cruyff reinvented modern football at Barcelona". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  4. Besa, Ramón (18 November 1996). "Robson alineará a Ronaldo y Bakero ante el Valladolid" [Robson will play Ronaldo and Bakero against Valladolid]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  5. Bañeres, Enric (19 November 1996). "Bakero dicta una lección magistral" [Bakero puts on show for the ages]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  6. Steel, Adam (29 June 2017). "Trialists and tribulations: Three players who Middlesbrough declined to sign during pre-season". TeessideLive. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  7. Pla Díaz, Emilio. "José María Bakero Escudero – International Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  8. "Bakero, nuevo entrenador" [Bakero, new manager]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 15 January 2005. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  9. López, Ángel (18 May 2006). ""Era mi sueño desde hace tiempo"" [It had been a dream of mine since a long time]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  10. "La Real Sociedad destituye a José Mari Bakero" [Real Sociedad dismiss José Mari Bakero]. El País (in Spanish). 26 October 2006. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  11. "Real Sociedad: Cesado el entrenador José Mari Bakero" [Real Sociedad: Coach José Mari Bakero fired] (in Spanish). El Futbolín. October 2006. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  12. Urrutia, Carlos (22 April 2008). "Koeman, a la calle" [Koeman, out you go] (PDF). Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  13. "José María Bakero zostanie trenerem Polonii Warszawa" [José María Bakero will be Polonia Warsaw's coach] (in Polish). 90 Minut. 10 November 2009. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  14. "Ekstraklasa 2009/2010" (in Polish). 90 Minut. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  15. Kamiński, Emil (11 May 2010). "Derby dla Polonii" [Polish derby]. Legia Warsaw. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  16. "Jose Bakero zwolniony. Nadszedł Paweł Janas" [Jose Bakero released. Paweł Janas in] (in Polish). TVN24. 13 September 2010. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  17. "José María Bakero trenerem Lecha" [José María Bakero trains Lech] (in Polish). 90 Minut. 3 November 2010. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  18. Ornstein, David (4 November 2010). "Lech Poznan 3–1 Man City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  19. "José Mari Bakero dejó de ser técnico del Juan Aurich" [José Mari Bakero is no longer manager of Juan Aurich]. El Comercio (in Spanish). 8 September 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  20. "José María Bakero es el nuevo director deportivo de La Guaira" [José María Bakero is La Guaira's new sporting director] (in Spanish). Balonazos. 22 July 2015. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  21. "Bakero y Amor, responsables del fútbol formativo profesional del Barça" [Bakero and Amor, in charge of Barça's professional formative football]. Sport (in Spanish). 10 July 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  22. "Официално: Хосе Мария Бакеро пое Славия" (in Bulgarian). topsport.bg. 19 June 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  23. Parcero, Bruno (9 January 2018). "La saga continúa" [The saga continues]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  24. "Bakero se lleva a su hermano de ayudante a Varsovia" [Bakero takes his brother to Warsaw as assistant]. Marca (in Spanish). 15 January 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  25. Reizabal, Gorka (9 February 1985). "Bakero, una intensa vida de 22 años" [Bakero, an intense 22-year-old life]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  26. "Wake's Jon Bakero wins Hermann Trophy as top college player". ESPN. 6 January 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  27. "Bakero II". European Football. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  28. José Mari Bakero coach profile at Soccerway
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.